Birmingham vs North Yorkshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £10,000 (5%) more in Birmingham than in North Yorkshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 5.7× in North Yorkshire.
At a glance
| Birmingham | North Yorkshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | Above average | Low |
Buying rates the typical price of all homes against median pay; renting rates a year of average rent against median pay; crime rates recorded crime per resident against the England and Wales average.
What the numbers say
Median full-time pay in North Yorkshire (£36,783) is 2% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 5% less (£210,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, North Yorkshire is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 6.1× annual pay in Birmingham and 5.7× in North Yorkshire. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 27% in North Yorkshire. Both are harder in Birmingham, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and North Yorkshire is around the middle of 316 areas (174th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and North Yorkshire is the 82nd least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £38,000 in North Yorkshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £30,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Yorkshire would leave you better placed to buy. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 47.4 in North Yorkshire, so recorded crime per resident is 59% lower in North Yorkshire. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 1.7 in North Yorkshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £36,783 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 5.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 88% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 27% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | North Yorkshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £410,000 | -9% in North Yorkshire |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £255,000 | -4% in North Yorkshire |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £210,000 | -5% in North Yorkshire |
| Flat | £145,000 | £150,000 | +3% in North Yorkshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | North Yorkshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,187 | -17% in North Yorkshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £900 | -22% in North Yorkshire |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £832 | -24% in North Yorkshire |
| Flat | £919 | £686 | -25% in North Yorkshire |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 47.4 in North Yorkshire, so recorded crime per resident is 59% lower in North Yorkshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | North Yorkshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 47.4 | -59% in North Yorkshire |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 20.1 | -57% in North Yorkshire |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.5 | -48% in North Yorkshire |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.3 | -90% in North Yorkshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 3.5 | -70% in North Yorkshire |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 1.7 | -83% in North Yorkshire |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.1 | -93% in North Yorkshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.1 | -44% in North Yorkshire |
Rates use resident population, so city centres and student areas show higher crime per resident than residents experience. Recorded crime also depends on reporting and police recording practice.
How prices have changed in each area
Average house price for all property types, indexed so that 2005 is 100. A line at 200 means prices have doubled.
Show the figures
| Year | Birmingham | North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 106 |
| 2007 | 109 | 113 |
| 2008 | 105 | 110 |
| 2009 | 95 | 100 |
| 2010 | 100 | 107 |
| 2011 | 97 | 105 |
| 2012 | 98 | 104 |
| 2013 | 100 | 105 |
| 2014 | 106 | 108 |
| 2015 | 111 | 113 |
| 2016 | 120 | 118 |
| 2017 | 129 | 121 |
| 2018 | 136 | 125 |
| 2019 | 140 | 126 |
| 2020 | 142 | 129 |
| 2021 | 157 | 139 |
| 2022 | 172 | 152 |
| 2023 | 174 | 154 |
| 2024 | 174 | 153 |
| 2025 | 178 | 155 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 157 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £172,002 in North Yorkshire. Now it is £232,548 and £270,482: Birmingham is up 79% and North Yorkshire is up 57%. Prices have risen faster in Birmingham, so the gap between the two has narrowed.
Buying a home against local pay, over time
Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.
Show the figures
| Year | Birmingham | North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 7.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 7.9 years in North Yorkshire. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.3 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Birmingham over that time.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | Birmingham | North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 101 |
| 2017 | 108 | 103 |
| 2018 | 111 | 105 |
| 2019 | 113 | 106 |
| 2020 | 116 | 108 |
| 2021 | 118 | 111 |
| 2022 | 122 | 115 |
| 2023 | 132 | 121 |
| 2024 | 147 | 128 |
| 2025 | 156 | 134 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 138 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £613 in North Yorkshire. Now it is £1,099 and £849: up 61% in Birmingham and up 38% in North Yorkshire. Rents have risen faster in Birmingham.
What your salary is worth in each area
Salary needed to afford the same kind of home (terraced), going by median prices and average rents.
Moving from Birmingham to North Yorkshire
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in North Yorkshire | Equivalent to rent in North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £23,000 |
| £40,000 | £38,000 | £30,500 |
| £50,000 | £47,500 | £38,000 |
| £60,000 | £57,500 | £45,500 |
Moving from North Yorkshire to Birmingham
| Earning in North Yorkshire | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £39,500 |
| £40,000 | £42,000 | £52,500 |
| £50,000 | £52,500 | £66,000 |
| £60,000 | £63,000 | £79,000 |